Which clip-on wins — Misfit’s stylish precision or Fitbit’s no-nonsense reliability — and which one keeps counting when the other quits?
Tiny tracker duel: who wins your pocket? This concise comparison pits the MISFIT Shine (S39SH0BZ) against the Fitbit Zip (Magenta), examining accuracy, battery life, design and everyday usability to help you pick the right basic activity tracker with clear verdicts.
Versatile Wear
A low-profile, long-lasting activity tracker suited to users who prioritize design and battery longevity over app features and live metrics. Its tracking is generally reliable for steps and sleep, but connectivity and software support feel dated compared with modern trackers.
Clip Convenience
A straightforward, dependable clip-on pedometer ideal for users who want accurate step counting with minimal fuss and long battery life. The device benefits from Fitbit’s app and social features, but lacks advanced sensors and full water protection.
MISFIT Shine S39
Fitbit Zip Tracker
MISFIT Shine S39
Fitbit Zip Tracker
MISFIT Shine S39
Fitbit Zip Tracker
Tracking Accuracy: Steps, Distance and Sleep—Which Is More Reliable?
Testing methods used
I compared the MISFIT Shine and Fitbit Zip with side-by-side walks (100–1,000 steps), hand-tallied pedometer ground-truth, short 1–3 km runs, and overnight sleep logs (Shine only). Tests checked step totals, distance (steps × stride), and sleep detection behavior.
Step and distance accuracy — real numbers
Typical patterns:
Sleep detection
Sensors and algorithm differences
Battery Life & Charging: Runtime, Convenience and Real-World Endurance
Runtime — advertised vs. typical
Charging method and replacement workflow
Travel and extended-use considerations
Tips to preserve battery and cost notes
Design and Wearability: Style, Comfort and Durability
Form factor & materials
MISFIT Shine: slim, low-profile aluminum puck with a minimalist, jewelry-like look. The included polyurethane strap is lightweight and unobtrusive. Fitbit Zip: small, colorful plastic box with a built-in LCD; utilitarian and bright rather than fashion-forward.
Mounting options and comfort
Shine is multi-wear — wrist (with band), pendant, or discreetly embedded in clothing/accessories via magnets or docks. Zip is a clip-on meant for pockets, waistbands or bra straps. Shine feels more comfortable for all-day wrist wear; Zip can be annoying if clipped to thin fabrics or when sitting.
Water resistance & durability
Shine uses a metal body and is built for daily bumps and splashes; many users treat it as swim-capable in practice. The refurbished listing notes solid build quality. Zip’s plastic case is light and durable for daily chores but is not designed for swimming — avoid submersion and heavy rain.
Display, readability & instant feedback
Shine has no persistent screen — you get feedback through the app or by tapping to view LED patterns. That keeps the design clean but reduces instant glanceability. Zip has a simple numeric LCD that shows steps, distance and calories at a glance — handy for quick checks without a phone.
Which users will prefer each design
Features, App Ecosystem and Value: What You Get Beyond Steps
Software experience & mobile apps
Misfit Shine pairs with the Misfit app to show detailed sleep staging, daily activity summaries, and multi-wear setup. The refurbished listing warns of less-frequent software updates and occasional Bluetooth hiccups, so the app experience can feel dated.
Fitbit Zip ties into Fitbit’s mature app: clean dashboards, long-term charts, goal-setting, badges, and challenges — a more polished, actively maintained experience.
Platform compatibility & syncing
Misfit: works with the Misfit app (iOS/Android) and historically offered limited third-party syncers, but current support can be inconsistent on older hardware. Bluetooth sync is available but less seamless than modern trackers.
Fitbit Zip: syncs to Fitbit cloud via USB dongle or compatible Bluetooth 4.0 phones; syncing is reliable and automatic when paired, and cloud history is robust and easy to access.
Social, goals & integrations
Misfit: basic goals and history inside its app; social/competitive features are minimal. Third‑party integrations exist but may be limited depending on current service support.
Fitbit: strong social features (friends, challenges, badges), and broad ecosystem integrations (food and fitness apps), making motivation and data export easier.
Additional sensors & modes
Misfit: includes sleep tracking and multi-wear convenience but no heart-rate or GPS. Battery is a replaceable CR2 cell (no charging).
Fitbit Zip: focused on steps/distance/calories, no sleep or HR/GPS in this model, powered by a user-replaceable coin cell (long runtime).
Value & target audience
Feature Comparison
Final Verdict: Which Tracker Should You Choose?
The Misfit Shine 2 offers sleeker design, long battery life and swim-proof wearability but trades slightly lower step/sleep accuracy and limited app ecosystem; the Fitbit Zip scores higher for immediate step accuracy, lively companion app and social features but needs frequent battery changes and lacks water resistance. Overall winner: Fitbit Zip for accuracy and ecosystem, Misfit Shine 2 for style and battery convenience.
Choose Fitbit Zip if accuracy and app-driven motivation matter most; choose MISFIT Shine 2 if wrist/clip versatility, low maintenance battery and minimalist style are priorities. Ideal buyer — MISFIT Shine 2: style-focused, low-fuss user. Ideal buyer — Fitbit Zip: accuracy-driven, social-fitness user. Ready to pick one? Compare prices and reviews before buying.
Honestly, battery life sold me on the Shine 2. I hated charging my old trackers. The review saying weeks of battery is accurate — I went almost a month without a charge. Zip’s coin cell is convenient but I had to replace it once and felt meh about replacing batteries often.
Same — I hate micro-USB cobwebs. Shine felt premium. But if you’re super low-maintenance, Zip’s single CR battery change is a 2-minute job.
Nice to hear your experience matches the review, Ethan. The Shine 2’s rechargeable battery is a plus for many, but remember it does mean you’ll need to plan charging every few weeks. The Zip’s replaceable coin cell is simpler but shorter-lived overall.
Not trying to start a war, but I prefer the battery simplicity of the Zip’s coin cell. No charging cables, no fuss. The misfit looks nicer tho. Trade-offs!
Ivy, same. I keep a drawer of spare coin cells 😂
Totally fair — some users prefer the ‘set-and-forget’ approach of a coin cell. The trade-off is shorter battery life and eventual replacement; Shine’s rechargeable model removes the need to buy cells but requires periodic charging.
A little rant: I bought the magenta Zip for my daughter because it’s cute, but the clip feels flimsy. She lost it once. 😂 Does the Misfit Shine clip better or is it mostly wearable accessories?
Maybe try a small safety pin behind the Zip clip? jk 😅 But seriously, get a band for Shine if you want more security.
The Zip’s clip is known to be fiddly; for kids it can pop off during play. Misfit Shine relies on accessories (wristbands, clips, necklaces) and the magnetic dock — the accessories tend to be more secure, but you’ll need to buy the one that suits your use.
I used a silicone band for the Shine and it stayed put great. Better than the Zip clip in my experience.
I found the app experience more important than the hardware. Fitbit app is straightforward and social challenges are fun. Misfit app felt a bit sparse and sometimes sync was slow. Anyone else noticed that?
We noticed the same during testing. Fitbit’s ecosystem is more mature — better social features and clearer UI. Misfit’s app is simpler and can be less responsive depending on firmware.
Agree. The Fitbit community challenges got me moving more. Misfit’s minimalism is nice if you want less noise, though.
I actually liked Misfit’s simplicity — less nagging, fewer badges. But yeah, for weekly challenges Fitbit wins.
If anyone’s wondering about water resistance: I shower with my Shine and it survived fine. The Zip isn’t great for water — lost one in the washer once, RIP. 😭
Lesson learned the hard way.
Misfit Shine is swim-proof in many versions, and the Shine 2 tolerates splashes and showers. Fitbit Zip is not designed for swimming and can be damaged by washing or submersion.
Oh no the washer story is tragic. I always clip Zip inside a zippered pocket now 😂
Is there any real difference in step-count accuracy for running vs walking between these two? I run 3x/week and want something that won’t undercount sprints.
For running, both will register activity, but Zip (as a clip) can be slightly more consistent for pure step counts because it’s less influenced by wrist motion. Shine 2 is fine for casual runs but may miss very quick strides if motion patterns differ.
I ran with both in my pocket and the Zip’s readings were steadier. Shine on wrist sometimes lagged during interval sprints.
One nitpick: the article mentioned Bluetooth connect issues with older phones. I have a 2016 Android — will either tracker be a pain to pair?
Older Android versions can struggle with BLE stability. Fitbit tends to have broader compatibility, but if your phone firmware is quite old you might see intermittent disconnects with either device. Updating the phone’s OS helps a lot.
Good to know — thanks!
I had to toggle Bluetooth and reinstall the Misfit app once and that fixed pairing on an older phone. Not ideal but doable.
Thanks for this comparison — I’ve been deciding between a clip-on like the Fitbit Zip and something more subtle like the Misfit Shine. I like the Shine’s look, but does it really track steps as well as Fitbit? Anyone with real-world experience?
Great question, Laura. In our testing the Shine tends to undercount steps slightly when worn on the wrist compared to the Zip clipped to a pocket — the Zip’s pedometer algorithm is tuned for clip-on use. If you primarily walk/run and want tight step counts, Zip is a bit more consistent.
Funny enough I wear Shine as a necklace and it’s been fine for me. Not perfect, but I prefer it for sleep tracking over Zip (which doesn’t do sleep).
I had a Shine and swapped to a Zip last year. The Shine looks nicer but yeah, it missed some steps when I had it loose on my wrist. If you clip it to your shoe or waistband it’s better.
Quick check: does the Misfit Shine 2 measure sleep well? The article said it has sleep features but no accuracy deep dive. I need something that can detect naps and wake times reliably.
I was surprised how often Shine got my naps wrong. Fitbit nailed them. If naps are important, go Zip? (But remember Zip lacks sleep tracking — so scratch that; Fitbit Charge would be better.)
Right — Zip doesn’t track sleep. If sleep tracking is key, Shine is an option but newer Fitbits do it better.
Shine 2 does sleep tracking and detects light vs deep sleep reasonably well for a consumer tracker. It tends to miss very short naps unless you manually log them. Fitbit’s sleep detection is slightly better at automatically picking up naps and wake windows.
Design-wise: Misfit looks like jewelry, Fitbit Zip looks like a calculator accessory. 😂 If you care about aesthetics the Shine wins hands down. But if you want simple and cheap, Zip does the job.
Exactly. I wear mine with everything, even to work events. People ask about it more than they ask about my phone 😄
Ha — fair takeaway. The Misfit Shine is designed to be more jewelry-like; aesthetics are a major selling point. The Zip is more utilitarian and budget-friendly.